There are some common symptoms following surgery, such as blurred vision, a scratchy feeling in your eye, your eye watering a little, a dull ache over your eyes and sensitivity to bright light – these are all normal and shouldn’t last more than a couple of days. If you experience any aches or pain after surgery we suggest you take painkillers, such as paracetamol, using the recommended dosage. You should avoid aspirin, unless this has been prescribed for you. You can wear sunglasses the day after surgery for light sensitivity. Make sure these are cleaned well before you put them on.
The most important thing following surgery is to protect the eye from infection, so it’s important not to rub or touch your eye.
You should keep your eye shield on, as recommended by your surgeon/nurse – it’s designed for you to be able to sleep with it on. You’ll need to begin using your eye drops on the day after your surgery.
If your eye is sticky the day after surgery, then you can bathe your eye with some sterile swabs. You should boil some water to sterilise it, allow this to cool and then bathe the eye with a swab and water. Make sure you wash your hands before and after bathing your eye. Soak the swab in the cooled water and wipe once across your eye while it is closed. Repeat with a new swab if needed.
Patients will be invited to a post-op appointment, this could be at the hospital where you had surgery or your local optician. They’ll examine the eye to make sure it looks healthy and check your vision – it is likely you will require a new prescription after surgery.
You should contact your cataract surgery provider or optician if you experience any of the following, as you’ll need to be seen asap.
SpaMedica patients should call us on 0330 058 4280 – our support team operate 24/7 and can provide advice or arrange an emergency appointment at a local SpaMedica hospital.